“Prices of school meals drive decline”

By

| 09 October 2007

High costs of healthy school lunches have contributed to a decline in their uptake, particularly among low-income families not eligible for free meals, a report has said.

Ofsted inspectors found parents from low-income families did not believe their children would eat the healthier meals, and it would be a waste of money, Food in Schools: Encouraging Healthier Eating, found.

The Child Poverty Action Group called on the government to provide central resources to support schools in extending free meals. Tim Nicholls, press and parliamentary officer said: "The number of people that qualify for free meals is much smaller than the number of children below the poverty line.